


A 2nd Life

by Chichirinoda



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Dom/sub Play, M/M, Psychic Abilities, Threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-23
Updated: 2011-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-27 22:04:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/300539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chichirinoda/pseuds/Chichirinoda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Sollux from a doomed timeline is murdered by Eridan and finds himself in a dream bubble with Orphaner Dualscar and the Ψiioniic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A 2nd Life

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [the Kink Meme](http://homesmut.livejournal.com/12138.html?thread=24672874#t24672874)

The last thing Sollux saw was Eridan's snarling face and the white blast that erupted from the tip of the wand. He hadn't even said anything. Sollux was totally unprepared.

The last thing he heard was Feferi's scream of rage.

The last thing he felt was the pain as the white energy tore into his chest, ripped a hole right through him.

Strange, he'd thought he would go blind before he died.

The voices screamed in his head, and were silenced.

Blackness descended.

======>

The sound of the ocean woke him, and the gentle touch of fingers adjusting the glasses on his face and smoothing back his hair. The hands smelled of salt, and he groaned instead of jerking away, raising a hand to touch his chest as if to make sure it was still there.

A dream of dying? He'd had lots of those. But he was still with Feferi on the horn pile, he thought. In a moment he'd open his eyes, and she'd laugh and pinch his cheek and call him a wriggler for falling asleep when they were talking. And then Karkat would yell at him, because he had said they weren't to sleep no matter what. Eridan hadn't killed him. Everything was all right.

"He's comin' around," said a rough voice he almost knew. And then, "Wwhat are you wwastin' your time cluckin' ovver him like an ovverly protectivve featherbeast lusus for, anywway?"

The accent he recognized, and his eyes flew open, sparks flying from his eyes as he sat up and looked around for Eridan.

He caught a glimpse of the sea dweller sitting on the sand not far away, two deep scars marring his attractive, but incredibly familiar features, and he nearly flipped his shit.

And then a hand turned his head to the side and up, and he looked into his own eyes - though they were white, instead of red and blue, they were undeniably his - set in a face with lips that smiled gently and with four long horns jutting above. His own face, but longer, leaner, almost starved of any hint of baby fat, and with the mature bone structure of an adult troll.

"Shoosh," said his doppleganger. Sollux wasn't entirely sure if it was directed at him or the sea dweller. "Don't panic. What'th the latht thing you remember?"

Sollux swallowed and his eyes cut to the side again. The sea dweller wasn't doing anything, just watching with a sort of irritated, petulant glower. He looked back up at the other yellowblood, trying to understand what was going on here.

"I wath on the horn pile, and Eridan shot me with one of hith shitty wandth," he said. "And I think I died, again."

"Eridan?" the sea dweller asked, his voice a low rumble. "Wwho's that?"

"Thome douchebag who lookth egthactly like you," Sollux said cuttingly. "Ekthept without the dithfiguring thcarth."

"Hush," the adult version of him said. "There'th no need for that, pleathe."

The sea dweller's eyes widened and he touched his scars as if embarrassed by them. Then his face contorted with anger. "Cheeky pissblood wwhelp. I ought to teach you a lesson in manners."

" _Pleathe_ , Captain. Pleathe, not now."

Sollux looked up at the expression on his doppleganger's face, still gentle, but a little nervous now, and looking like something was being held together inside him with nothing but spit and a prayer. And he decided that maybe antagonizing the big sea dweller wasn't a good idea.

"What the fuck ith going on here?" Sollux asked softly. "Who are you guyth?"

"I'm General Orphaner Dualscar," said the sea dweller, as he jumped to his feet. "I'll be inside wwhen the twwo a you are done." And with that he turned to stalk up the beach towards a hive - a _massive_ hive - that Sollux could just see peeking out over the trees.

"And I'm the H-- Pthiioniic," said the adult version of Sollux, watching Dualscar leave. "Who are you?"

"Thollukth Captor," said Sollux, words shaping themselves on autopilot because he was thinking about something else. Dualscar was a name he knew. Eridan had trumpeted that name for sweeps - the name of that douchebag's hero. The name of his ancestor.

"Are you my anthethtor?"

Ψiioniic smiled. "Well, I guethh I am. And we're all dead, Thollukth. Thorry about that."

"Holy shit," said Sollux.

"Yeth," said Ψiioniic. "Would you like to come inthide? There'th food."

Sollux stared at him for a long moment, then nodded. He still had no fucking clue what was going on.

"...Okay."

"Okay." Ψiioniic got to his feet and helped Sollux up as well. Now he could feel a strange hollowness in his chest and he looked down. Did he have a wound there? It was covered by his shirt. "Don't mind my Captain," Ψiioniic said as they began to walk. "He'th not ath bad ath he theemth, thometimeth."

"That's not a ringing endorthement," Sollux observed. Why was Ψiioniic here with him? He didn't quite dare to ask. "What ith thith plathe?" he asked instead.

"A plathe of dreamth and memorieth, apparently. I haven't been here long, mythelf. Though thometimeth it theemth like I've been here for thweepth," said Ψiioniic. "We keep it ath hith hive becauthe it'th comfortable and thafe. You're the firtht new perthon I've theen thinthe I got here, though."

"Hopefully I'm the latht," Sollux said. "Could get pretty buthy here with corptheth washing up on the beach every five minuteth."

"Yeth, it'th been nithe and quiet up to now," Ψiioniic said, lips quirking up. "But you're welcome here, Thollukth."

"I don't want to horn in on thingth," Sollux said. They rounded a copse of trees and now he could see the hive, a hulking, sprawling thing built right into a cliff face. It clearly extended into the water, but also had several floors above.

Ψiioniic paused for a moment. "You're not horning in. The hive ith big enough for three."

Sollux glanced at him, sober and uncertain. The sight of Eridan's face, snarling, arrogant, filled with loathing, flashed across his mind, and he all but convulsed internally with hatred.

He couldn't leave this strange, quiet version of himself with someone like that. He wasn't sure why, but he sensed something fragile inside Ψiioniic, and he wondered why he kept calling Dualscar 'Captain' instead of calling him by his name.

"I'll thtay," he said decisively. If only to find out what hold that highblood had on his ancestor, and help him if he could.

Ψiioniic smiled at him. "I'm glad. Come on."

Side by side, the two yellow bloods climbed the hill towards the entrance to the hive.

The hive was a maze of rooms and hallways, dizzyingly large. Though Sollux didn't know for sure, he suspected that if one took into account the levels that were under the water, it would be bigger than his entire communal hive stem, back on Alternia.

He had no idea what one needed such a large amount of room for, especially since there were only two people living there, but he had to admit that it wasn't as though he'd be taking up space.

Ψiioniic insisted half a dozen times that he was welcome to stay, though Sollux didn't see Dualscar once during his tour. When he mentioned it, Ψiioniic said he had probably gone under water, and simply shrugged, as if it didn't matter.

After showing him more food preparation blocks, ablution blocks, libraries, sitting blocks, and respite blocks than an army might need, Ψiioniic left him in a respite block which he said he could make his own, and disappeared to make some food.

Sollux stood at the window for a while, looking out over the ocean and wondering if Feferi was all right.

The door opened and Sollux turned, expecting Ψiioniic, and tensed when he saw the sea dweller enter the room, resplendent in armour with Eridan's wavy symbol emblazoned across the front. He'd obviously taken some time to primp, since all he'd been wearing on the sand was a loose long-sleeved shirt and breeches.

His craggy features still were every bit as arrogant as Sollux would have expected from an ancestor of Eridan's. He found himself baring his teeth a little, lips shivering up to bare his fangs as if warning off an enemy.

Dualscar stood in the doorway, staring at him with a calm expression. In contrast to Sollux' tension, he merely gazed at him inscrutably, not reacting to the silent challenge.

"Is this howw lowwblood wwrigglers act these days?" he asked after a few beats. "Wwelcomed into my hivve, and all you can do is growwl at the sight a me?"

Sollux lowered his upper lip, feeling awkward and chastened at the words. "Thorry," he said uncomfortably. "I wathn't ekthpecting you."

That was true, though it wasn't really the reason for his reaction.

"So I see." Dualscar closed the door and crossed the room towards Sollux. "My...companion tells me your name is Sollux, and that you wwill be stayin' for noww."

Sollux heard that hesitation, and wondered what Dualscar had been about to call Ψiioniic. There was something weird going on here, and that, more than anything, had made him decide to stay.

"Yeah, I figured I'd thtay at leatht until I got my bearingth," he said quietly, studying Dualscar's face. "Being dead ith pretty new to me."

Dualscar nodded. He was still coming forward, and abruptly seemed to _loom_ , towering over Sollux as he finally planted his feet and looked down at the young troll. "As I said before, you're wwelcome in my hivve," he said. "But you wwill obey the rules, so long as you're here. Wwe wwill have this understandin', or you'll find yourself pitched unceremoniously into the ocean - at _best_. Are you listenin', boy?"

Sollux' lip lifted again and he straightened his back defiantly. No way was he going to allow Dualscar to intimidate him, even if you could probably fit three of Sollux' shorter, skinny frame inside his body. At least.

"I'm not here to fuck with your romantic honeymoon, Dualthcar," he growled. "Let'th hear thethe ruleth, then."

Dualscar snorted. Then he raised one finger before Sollux' nose, tipped by a wicked yellow claw. "One, you do as I say. In this hivve, my wword is laww. Particularly to mustard-blood mutant psychics, of wwhich category you happen to fit."

A second finger joined the first. "Twwo, you havve free range of the hivve during the night, except for the lowwer levvels, a course, since you don't havve gills. But during the day, you wwill remain in this block of rooms and not wwander."

He raised a third finger. "Three. The first fuckin' time you use your psionics offensivvely against any member a this hivvehold, you wwill be turned out instantly, an' count your blessin's if you do it wwith all a your limbs intact."

He straightened slightly, lowering his hand. "Any questions?"

 _Yeah, do they have schools to teach douchebaggery, or is it genetic?_ Sollux thought, but he bit back the words.

He could just walk out right now, he knew. He didn't know where to go, but there had to be _somewhere_ other than this hive. Even if he had to dream it up himself, he didn't have to stay here.

But he had decided to stay here out of concern for his ancestor, and if he got himself kicked out ten minutes after arriving, he wouldn't be able to do anything to help Ψiioniic, if he needed that help.

"Why can't I wander around during the day?" he asked. That seemed like a natural enough question.

"Doesn't matter to you wwhy. Reference rule one for the reason wwhy," Dualscar said dismissively, and turned away, stomping towards the door. "I expect Psi to be up shortly wwith your pre-dawwn meal. Day is in twwo hours. Wwe keep a regular schedule."

Sollux opened his mouth to protest, then just snarled wordlessly. "I'm not going to be your thervant, if that'th what you think!" he shouted after the other troll.

Dualscar opened the door and glanced over his shoulder, eyebrow arching. "Wwhere'd you get that preposterous idea?"

With that frustratingly ambiguous response, he was gone, and Sollux was left restraining the urge to throw something after him.

Ψiioniic returned a few minutes later with a fragrant meal on a tray. The yellow-blood knocked and Sollux opened the door then stood back awkwardly and watched, feeling at loose ends about being served in his own respite block.

"I can make my own food and thtuff, you know. I don't need you to therve me," he said as Ψiioniic moved to lay out the food on the table.

"I don't mind," Ψiioniic said placidly. "It'th nithe to be able to do thingth for people."

"No, but," Sollux inwardly flailed. "You don't have to, that'th what I'm thaying. You don't have to therve anyone."

Ψiioniic paused, then lifted his head and looked at Sollux. "You talked to Dualthcar."

Sollux yellowed. "He'th a gigantic douche."

"Eat," Ψiioniic said, pointing to the table. And then, "What did he thay to you?"

Sollux sat down, grumbling a little. He'd really never had anyone to care for him - his lusus hadn't been like that - so he felt weird being ordered around and cared for at the same time. "He gave me thith thtupid shit about obeying him, and not wandering around during the day, and that I shouldn't attack anyone with my pthionicth."

"Do you have a problem with those thtipulationth?" Ψiioniic asked, mild amusement in his tone.

"Not the latht one," Sollux admitted grudgingly, sticking his food eating implement into the grub loaf and carving off a chunk. "I'm not going to thtart blathting off unlethh I really get into a bad mood." He stuck the food into his mouth and sucked in air at the unexpected heat of it.

It was really good food, and he was so fucking starving after weeks of eating only what he could alchemize from shit he had lying around. You could only eat so many fruit gushers, and for some reason the alchemiter liked to make those out of the most random combinations of things.

Ψiioniic approached him and suddenly Sollux found light fingers running through his hair. He stiffened, then relaxed. He was okay with this, if it was Ψiioniic.

"My Captain can't help being what he ith, any more than we can," Ψiioniic said quietly. "He'th uthed to being obeyed by lowbloodth like uth. And thith ith hith hive. If you can't deal with it, I underthtand, and you can alwayth leave."

"I'm not going anywhere," Sollux said harshly, then yellowed and stuck another mouthful of food in his mouth before he could say too much.

"Then you'll obey him," Ψiioniic murmured. "I know why you're upthet, and I can only athk you to relakth and thee how thingth go. You can alwayth change your mind later."

Sollux chewed and swallowed. "You could come with me," he offered softly. "You don't have to--"

Ψiioniic tapped him lightly, one-two, on the forehead. "I could, but I won't. I appreciate the offer, but I'm thtaying here."

Sollux looked up and studied the Ψiioniic's expression. "Were you hith...thervant or thomething when you were alive, too?"

"No," Ψiioniic said. He shifted and perched against the corner of the desk, so Sollux could see him without craning his neck around. "In life I wath a thlave, and then a rebel, and then I became the Helmthman of the Condethe. When I finally wath releathed from that bondage, Dualthcar found me near here."

"Tho now inthtead of therving the Condethe, you therve him?" Sollux asked, struggling to modulate his voice, but even still he could hear the accusation in it. "You don't have to do that! If you need help, I can help you."

Ψiioniic shook his head. "I don't need your help, wriggler." He smirked. "Ith that why you're thtaying? To thave me?"

"No," Sollux lied. "What the fuck do I care? If you want to therve thome grubfithted athhhole thea dweller, then that'th your choithe."

"Yeth, my choithe," Ψiioniic echoed solemnly. "What do you have againtht thea dwellerth, Thollukth? You're a little young to be tho militant."

"It'th not..." Sollux' righteousness was rather deflated by this accusation. "He'th a jerk. I don't have anything againtht thea trollth thpethifically."

Ψiioniic smiled doubtfully and cocked his head to the side. "Oh no? From the firtht moment you thaw Dualthcar you were growling. He hadn't done a thing to you."

Had he? Sollux was quite sure it was true, and he wondered belatedly if maybe the reason Dualscar had disappeared, and then put these weird strictures on him, was because he had been so hostile right from the beginning. Was that possible?

It...probably was.

"Fuck," he said quietly. "I think I jutht realithed that I'm an athhhole."

Ψiioniic chuckled. "It happenth to everyone."

Sollux looked up. "I told you already, Dualthcar'th dethendent killed me. I don't even know what I did to make him do it. Tho, I wathn't happy to thee him, right off, I guethh."

Ψiioniic nodded. "You did mention that. I'm sure that my Captain underthtandth the thituation, even if he doethn't want to admit it. But you might try to conthider that you and I aren't the thame, and neither ith he the perthon who murdered you."

"Yeah," Sollux said. Now he just felt like a heel, though the image of Dualscar haughtily telling him to obey still rankled. "I'll try not to hold hith genetic thpawn againtht him."

"Good," Ψiioniic said, and rose. "I have thome choreth to do before thunrithe. Uthe the intercom if you need me."

"Okay," Sollux said, though a part of him wanted to call him back. But the mention of sunrise had him calling out anyway, as he recalled something he had never asked. "Hey, Pthiioniic, why can't I wander around during the day?"

Ψiioniic paused and glanced back at him. "Becauthe that'th my Captain'th rule," he said. "Jutht obey and everything will be fine, Thollukth."

Sollux muttered and he left, and the younger troll was left staring at his food irritably. Was it the rule because Dualscar was a bulgepolishing douche? Or was there really a reason?

Well, he knew one thing - he was going to find out.

Day dawned and the windows quickly polarized as the sunlight crept over the cliffs and cast a long shadow over the seething ocean below. The transition seemed more abrupt than was quite natural, as if a memory of dusk had simply been overlaid with a memory of day, and then the darker memory extinguished. Suddenly the sun hung high overhead, and seemed ready to settle in there for the long haul.

Sollux had gotten into his recuperacoon even before dawn actually broke, but he didn't sleep. A weird, paranoid instinct had made him do it, and as he lay motionless in the slime, he heard the door open almost noiselessly, then close again, and footsteps continue on down the hall.

Someone had checked on him, and found him asleep.

He counted to twenty-two, then sat up. Slime sluiced off of his body, tingling pleasantly and feeling like a lost opportunity - he was _so tired_ \- but he was resolute. He could sleep later, after his mission was complete.

He wiped off the slime as best he could and dressed, making a face. He usually performed ablutions in the morning, and the last of the slime still clung to his skin under his clothes, but he didn't have time for that. Anyway, he would be getting back into the slime later, so there wasn't any point in getting into the ablution trap. He also didn't want to chance being overheard.

So he squelched a little as he eased the door open and snuck down the hallway, avoiding the patches of diffuse light that streamed in through the polarized windows, though he knew if anyone came along he would be visible even if he stuck to the shadows.

Even with the polarization, it was still a little too bright to his eyes - not painful, but uncomfortable. It wasn't a time for trolls to be awake.

The hive was still and completely silent as he wandered the hallways, and after a while he began to feel stupid. Everyone was clearly fucking asleep - like _he_ should be. Maybe the only reason Dualscar had made this rule was because he didn't want Sollux getting lost and waking him up. Or maybe he thought Sollux was going to steal something.

When he reached a set of stairs, he headed up to the top floor, where Ψiioniic had shown him an impressive library. He'd just get a book and return to his respite block. If anyone did eventually notice any signs that he'd gotten up, he'd just claim he had insomnia and needed reading material.

As he came within sight of the library, a smacking sound and a grunt had him racing towards the doors at a light-footed sprint. As he reached the doors, he heard a low, menacing growl.

"Howw dare you?" Dualscar snarled, his voice muffled. "Fuckin' upstart. You call yourself a slavve wwhen you're this disobedient?"

"I don't... call mythelf a... thlave at all," came Ψiioniic's softer, smoother voice. He panted breathlessly, his voice a little ragged.

Sollux paused outside the door and eased it open, his blood pusher slamming hard against his ribs. It took him a moment to spot the two adult trolls.

They were wrestling on the floor, which was why he hadn't seen them at first.

A second later, Sollux' knees went weak. They weren't wrestling, exactly.

They weren't wrestling at all.

Dualscar lay on the floor on his back, teeth bared as he looked up at Ψiioniic, who was straddling his hips. They were both nude. Even from this vantage point, with much of their bodies hidden by furniture, Dualscar's gills plainly visible, little purple-edged slashes between his ribs. Ψiioniic's bulges had drawn glistening trails on Dualscar's chest, and the yellow-blood arched and gasped, writhing as Dualscar's bulge penetrated his nook.

Sollux felt his own bulges wake up at the sight, and he had to grab onto the door to keep from falling to his knees, even as he bared his teeth in anger. Ψiioniic was pretty emotionally vulnerable. Just because he was sitting on top, didn't mean that he really wanted to be there.

On the other hand, he wasn't sure if he should intervene at this exact moment. Ψiioniic wasn't fighting, and Sollux wasn't sure how he himself would feel if some near-stranger came along and saw him being raped. Maybe he should wait, and take him away at another opportunity.

Before he could decide whether to save Ψiioniic's pride or intervene right then, Dualscar turned his head and _hissed_.

"Wwhat the fuck are you doing here? Get the fuck out a here!"

That decided him. Sollux darted into the room and grabbed for Ψiioniic's arm. "You leave him the fuck alone!" he shouted.

Ψiioniic looked up, mouth opening in shock, and caught Sollux' hand before he could seize him. "It'th all right, Thol," he stammered. "Calm down. I'm not hurting him."

Wait, what?

Sollux looked down at the hissing, spitting sea dweller he had been all but ignoring, and noticed something he hadn't been able to see from the door.

There were rings of red and blue energy around Dualscar's wrists and ankles. His legs were forced wide apart, and his arms were crossed at the wrist, pinned in place. The purple eyes were wild with shame and rage, but he couldn't move.

Ψiioniic wrapped his arms around Sollux' waist and the young troll nearly tripped and fell as his ancestor hugged him close. "It'th all right," he said again. "I'm not hurting Dualthcar. And Dee-eth, thtop thpitting at him. He wath jutht worried about you."

"Worried about _him_?" Sollux exclaimed, then yellowed. "I, uh..."

Dualscar squirmed again. "Get back to your fuckin' respite block, wwriggler," he commanded, with a decent amount of force considering he was pinned to the floor. "This doesn't concern you."

Sollux hesitated, then sank to his knees beside the other two. "Ith thith...a regular thing for you two?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Dualscar snapped.

Sollux could feel Ψiioniic's thoughtful stare on him, and reached out, running a finger up Dualscar's chest. "It ith, ithn't it? You kinky piethe of shit. You like getting topped by a yellow-blood."

Dualscar purpled and gave another harsh hiss, but he didn't deny it.

 _Wow._

Sollux couldn't quite believe what he was doing. Six sweeps old, never having gone further than sloppy makeouts before, and he was sitting on a floor with two naked adult trolls, and seriously considering the pros and cons of _not_ absconding immediately.

Ψiioniic touched him on the shoulder and he looked up into that yellow-flushed face so like his own.

With that, he was abruptly called back to himself, and belatedly realized that both adults were watching him, one with a faint, curious smile, and the other with a nervous snarl, and that he was just quietly rubbing Dualscar's chest with the palm of his hand.

"Uh..." Sollux said stupidly. "Maybe I should go."

"If you want to," Ψiioniic said, a light of mischief dawning in his eyes, just visible underneath the sparks of his powers. Dualscar hissed again, and Ψiioniic slapped him hard on the thigh. "Calm down, Captain, theriouthly you're being a wriggler over thith."

Sollux' eyes widened. That slap he'd heard earlier had sounded exactly like that.

Holy _fuck_ this was hot.

He licked his lips, squirming a little with discomfort as his pants started to feel irritatingly tight. "What do you mean, 'if I want to'?"

Ψiioniic cupped him under the chin with one finger and pressed a kiss to his lips.

Sollux gave a soft whimper and leaned into the kiss, opening his mouth a little with his exhale. This wasn't a shy, fumbling caress of lips, uncertain and nervous and working it out as they went along. This was practiced. Passionate.

Hungry.

A split tongue delved into Sollux' mouth and he met it with his own, the organs sliding together and tangling in a way that would have been impossible with a normal, non-mutated tongue. Ψiioniic's hand slid around to cradle Sollux' skull, claws kneading at the back of his neck and Sollux opened his mouth even wider, breathing hard through his nose and squeezing his eyes shut.

He couldn't. This couldn't be real.

Ψiioniic's tongues slid against his own, right between the two organs and rubbing at the place where they joined. Sollux jerked roughly and gave a soft, needy _whine_ , clutching at Ψiioniic mindlessly and kissing him as if he wanted to climb right into his mouth.

Dualscar cleared his throat. "Not that this isn't entertainin' to wwatch, but havve you forgotten somethin'?"

With a parting nibble to Sollux' lower lip - like a promise - Ψiioniic lifted his head and looked at Dualscar again. "I haven't forgotten anything. You don't like the show?"

Sollux sort of wanted to climb into a hole and pull it closed after him. He had just been kissing his own ancestor and whimpering like a wriggler as if it were the best thing he'd ever experienced. Which it was. But that was _embarrassing_. His scalp was tingling.

Dualscar was glaring at them, but the expression didn't really cover the needy, desperate look in his eyes.

"I didn't say that, I just think it would behoovve you to let me _participate_ ," the sea dweller grated, his hips squirming a little from side to side as he fought the bonds futilely. The movement made Ψiioniic's eyes glaze over a little, and Sollux was reminded that they were still joined, bulge to nook.

 _Holy fucking shit, what am I doing?_

Ψiioniic's fingers drifted up into his hair and petted him lightly. "But you're right, Dee-eth, we shouldn't ignore you. Thollukth, if you're thtaying why don't you get thethe clotheth out of the way, pleathe?"

Sollux looked up at him, down at Dualscar, and freaked out a tiny bit. This was definitely the point of no return. He could excuse himself without shame, head back to the respite block, and dive right into the slime and hope for good dreams.

Fuck that.

Sollux drew in a breath and pulled his T-shirt off, then tossed it aside. Dualscar's eyes widened and his fins perked up with definite interest. Sollux toed off his shoes and skinned out of his jeans before he could chicken out.

Then Ψiioniic dragged him close again, manoeuvring him with gentle nudges and soft, sibilant, whispered instructions, until he was straddling Dualscar's stomach, his ass pressed against Ψiioniic's bulges, and his own sprawling out over Dualscar's chest.

He felt small and slightly inconsequential next to the tall, slender Ψiioniic, and the powerfully-built sea dweller, but the hungry, eager look in those purple eyes in front of him dispelled a lot of his nervousness.

Ψiioniic's arms wrapped snugly around him, and the older yellow-blood continued to whisper in his ear. "Look at him, ithn't he thweet? Pretending that he doethn't want uth tho bad he can't thtand it. Pretending he'th the big bad thea dweller, king of the theath, but really he'th a big mooshball. You'll thee it'th true after a few perigeeth. In the meantime, ithn't he the hottetht piethe of trollflesh you've laid eyes on?"

"Wwhat are you sayin' to him?" Dualscar demanded, his fingers clenching and twisting.

The words were doing something crazy to Sollux. He felt heat rush right through him, starting in his lower stomach and spreading right into his fingers and toes. Dualscar _was_ hot. It was only natural that trolls would consider the highbloods to be the highest physical ideal, and the scars - despite what Sollux had said earlier - didn't take away from his attractiveness one bit.

It was nearly dizzying to know that Dualscar wanted _him_ so bad he was willing to do this. And even moreso to know that he could literally do anything he wanted to the sea dweller, and Dualscar would just be putty in his claws.

The only problem was, he had no idea what to do.

Ψiioniic murmured into his ear again. "Kithh him, Thol."

Problem solved.

Drawing a shaky breath, Sollux bent down, bracing his hands on either side of Dualscar's arms. Their lips met a little sooner than he had expected, as Dualscar surged upwards a bit and captured his mouth eagerly. There was a clacking of teeth, and a slight jerk, and then they were kissing hungrily, Dualscar's tongue diving aggressively into Sollux' mouth.

For a second, Sollux gave way, startled and nervous, but then it occurred to him that Dualscar was pinned to the ground, and really wasn't Sollux in control here?

With a growl, he rallied and thrust his tongues past Dualscar's, bullying past the sea dweller's lips and sliding them again his soft palette.

Dualscar _melted_ with a groan.

Dualscar tasted faintly of salt and something else unfamiliar, a heady taste that he could only identify as 'ocean'.

After that initial reaction, the sea dweller didn't lie quietly as Sollux kissed him. His tongue tangled with his own and fought him for every moment inside Dualscar's mouth. Dualscar twisted and squirmed against the bonds, but Sollux quickly realized that this was all for show. He didn't bite, and his growls shaded towards purrs as he relaxed.

And the way Dualscar moved rubbed against his bulge, sending shocks of pleasure through him. Was that deliberate? He had no idea.

Ψiioniic grasped Sollux by the hips and tugged him back a little, bending to lick and bite at Sollux' earlobe from behind. "That'th good," he whispered. "Jutht how he liketh it. You want more, little one?"

 _Oh god. Yes, please._

Mouth occupied, Sollux groaned in a manner he hoped was convincing, and Ψiioniic chuckled good-naturedly into his ear. "You are tho fucking cute."

Dualscar made a 'hurry the fuck up' noise, his chest vibrating against Sollux' with it. Sollux growled back. No way was Dualscar taking control of the pace now.

He lifted his head and bit Dualscar hard on the lip, drawing blood. "Quiet down. I'm doing thith for the firtht time and you're not rushing me!"

"Frightened, wwriggler?" Dualscar shot back, smirking. The motion widened the bite wound, and a bead of blood ran down his chin unchecked. "If you aren't ready for adulthood, you can leavve us, noww."

"I'm not going anywhere," Sollux growled, and deliberately ground himself back against the bulges writhing against his ass. "Thtop trying to pithh me off." Then he leaned forward and deliberately licked the blood from Dualscar's chin.

"That'th egthactly what he'th doing," Ψiioniic said with amusement, his voice growing breathless. "But let'th not keep him -- hnngh -- waiting too long, hmm? Try touching hith gillth. It'll keep him happy while we have our fun."

"Psii!" Dualscar exclaimed, purple flushing his cheeks.

The reaction startled Sollux, and he felt a mischievous grin stretch his features. Dualscar sounded almost nervous.

"What, you afraid I'll hurt you, fish-fathe?" Sollux murmured, letting his fingertips play down Dualscar's ribs. He couldn't help turning his head to watch his own hand, curious about the gills he'd never seen so close up before.

His finger touched the slit of one and it gave a bit, parting a little as Dualscar drew in an audible gasp.

"Careful a your fuckin' clawws!" Dualscar said in a strangled tone. "Psii, tell him to be careful! You don't just go pawwin' on a guy's gills. They're delicate fuckin' organs."

Sollux kissed him to shut him up, though he could have gone on listening to that panicked babbling all day. It was adorable.

But he did take the words to heart, and kept his claws carefully under control as he rubbed along the rim of a gill. He could feel the tension thrumming through Dualscar's body, though his mouth was pliant under Sollux', and wondered if Dualscar was scared or anticipatory.

Ψiioniic wasn't just sitting around, either. His hand slid around Sollux and grasped the young troll's bulges, drawing the split organ through his fingers. Sollux moaned and sagged a little, squirming, but struggled to keep his attention on what he was doing as he cautiously slid a finger inside Dualscar's gill.

Dualscar cried out, going rigid and gasping, but Sollux didn't think it was with fear this time. The sea dweller _hummed_ with excitement, and shivered with every tiny movement of Sollux' finger.

This was _good_.

Sollux thrust his tongues into Dualscar's mouth again, groaning deep in his throat and grinding back against Ψiioniic. All thoughts of nervousness were rapidly draining away. He had nothing to be afraid of, after all, and he _wanted_ this so badly.

"You ready?" Ψiioniic murmured into his ear. He pulled at Sollux' bulge with one hand as he continued to lick from the point of his ear to the lobe and then flicker his tongues into the hole, sending shivers down Sollux' spine.

Sollux swallowed, but there was no question in his mind, now. He nodded and lifted his head a little to break the kiss. "I'm okay," he whispered, though he couldn't keep the nervousness out of his voice. He bent his head to kiss Dualscar again before the sea dweller could comment, and he heard the rumble of a chuckle run through the bigger troll's chest.

"Of courthe you are," Ψiioniic murmured, and Sollux was immediately reassured by his kind tone.

Ψiioniic grasped him by the hips again and lifted him a little. Sollux drew his finger out of Dualscar's gill, not wanting to hurt him by accident, and the sea dweller gave a needy moan of loss.

Then Ψiioniic's bulges wormed their way inside Sollux, and he cried out as their girth stretched him and stimulated him at the same moment. They writhed, sending waves of pleasure through his body, and he was left clinging to Dualscar's shoulders, whimpering like an injured grub.

"F-fuck," Ψiioniic moaned, his fingers tightening on Sollux hard enough to prick the skin with his claws. "Relakth, Thol. It'th okay."

Sollux whimpered and broke the kiss again, his mouth gone slack anyway. He pressed his cheek to Dualscar's chest and was startled when he felt a light hand touch him at the base of one of his horns.

The fingers rubbed gently, sending more waves of pleasure down from the sensitive skin where the horn joined with his skull.

"There noww," Dualscar murmured. "You're doin' just fine."

"I don't...need...encouragement," Sollux grated. The initial discomfort was already fading, and the movement of Ψiioniic's bulges inside him lit him up like a 12th Perigee's Celebration Tree. He was panting for breath and could feel even more slickness as his own bulges coiled against his stomach.

"Jerk him off, pleathe," Ψiioniic murmured. Without letting go of Sollux' horn, Dualscar reached down between them, curling his own fingers around Sollux' bulge.

"Noww finally wwe're gettin' somewwhere," Dualscar complained.

"Sh-shut the fuck up," Sollux moaned breathlessly, then gave an entirely involuntary cry as Ψiioniic began to move.

With Dualscar's hand on his bulge and Ψiioniic's bulges sliding in and out of his nook, Sollux was quickly reduced to a whimpering, quivering, panting wreck. Later, he might feel embarrassed, but right now all he cared about was that this incredible sensation never, ever stop.

His cries rose in intensity quickly and soon he was jerking and writhing as genetic material spattered across Dualscar's chest.

"Thank goodnethh," he vaguely heard Ψiioniic gasp. "I couldn't hold on much longer. Fuck..." There was a rush of heat as his nook was filled, and he could hear Dualscar grunt and gasp, shuddering underneath his weight at the same moment that Ψiioniic spasmed against him.

Sollux lay insensible for a few moments, gasping and overwhelmed and clinging hard to the troll beneath him. Strong arms went around him and he heard Dualscar grunt. "Help me wwith him, for fuck's sake."

There was a crackle of familiar power across his skin, and he might have panicked as he felt his body being lifted, but he just felt too good. Besides, the power receded only seconds later, replaced by those strong, weirdly comforting arms, and he distantly recognized that he was being carried.

Carried by Dualscar.

He struggled to calm his breathing and he blinked his eyes open, looking around nervously, but Dualscar only carried him into a side door, beyond which was a small ablution block. The sea dweller glanced down at him, a scowl on his face that somehow, oddly, gave the impression of a smile.

"You'vve pleased me, wwriggler," Dualscar murmured. "You can stay."

"What'th that?" Sollux slurred. "Go fuck, yourthel--"

Dualscar dropped him in the ablution trap, and the water started automatically, splashing over his head and nearly drowning him. Sollux sputtered and fought his way out of the stream of water and directed a torrent of profanity at the first troll he saw.

Who happened to be Ψiioniic, unfortunately.

The yellow-blood smiled at him and lifted a sponge, then began unceremoniously - but tenderly - cleaning the genetic material from Sollux' body.

"He liketh you, a lot," Ψiioniic said, showing a crowded mouth full of teeth as he grinned. "You were beautiful, Thol."

Sollux growled and pushed himself up to sit, looking around, but Dualscar was nowhere in sight. "He'th thtill an athhhole."

Ψiioniic only continued to smile in an indulgent way. "Of courthe he ith."

"But...maybe I'll thtay, and not try to rethcue you jutht yet," Sollux said grudgingly. That brought a smile to Ψiioniic's lips that made him instantly sure that he'd made the right decision.

Ψiioniic leaned over and kissed him softly. "We'd like that," he murmured.

Sollux ducked under the water to hide a blush and a smile he suspected was far too goofy to be cool.

Strange how dying was so much like living. Only, maybe a little better. He thought perhaps he could at least give a try at building a second life here, with these two strange, lonely, oddly sweet trolls.


End file.
